In Mexico, President Barack Obama met with Russia's President Vladimir Putin Monday on the sidelines of the G20 summit, their first meeting since Putin took office last month.The meeting comes as the U.S. and Russia are at odds over policy in Syria, with U.S. accusations that Russia is shipping weapons to the Syrian government.

Dan Lothian is at the G20. We asked him if the meeting helped in bringing the two presidents any closer?

Why Putin can't be forced to deal

At the Group of 20 summit in Mexico, President Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin had their first face-to-face meeting since Putin resumed the Russian presidency in May. The joint statement they issued afterward indicated several issues (including Iran and Syria) that the two sides would seek to cooperate on, but it did not announce any significant agreements to do so.

More telling were the visual images when the two presidents were together; Obama appeared to be doing his best to project an image of warmth and friendliness, while Putin was stiff and reserved, as he usually is with other world leaders. It appeared that Obama was earnestly seeking to befriend Putin, but Putin was not reciprocating.

soundoff(3 Responses)

Ok, maybe I shouldn't have laughed out loud like that herein (below), because I think you took me seriously. I am serious, but not to this level, it's just that for Obama to 'meaningfully' talk about Syria at present makes him look like he's trying to talk to Santa about a Christmas list...and Putin ain't no Santa, I'll tell you that: dictator, benevolent(?), perhaps, but definitely a communist. -Believes in "Pow, Pow" rather than "Jaw, Jaw."

Putin and Obama At Odds Over Syria...AT ODDS?!!! -Putin can't wait to get his hands on Syria as a satellite state in the Middle East; he is not only laughing at Western leadership he probably has a plan for all of them too. HA, HA, HA.

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